Wrench kit holder



Filed Aug. 16, 1928 Patented June 9, 1931 NET-ff TATEfi ARTHUR I. PLATT,O33 FAIRFIELD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE BRIDGEYORT HARDWAREMANUFACTURING CORPORATION, OF BEIZDGEPORT', CONNECTICUT, A

CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT WRENCH Krr HOLDER Application filed August16, 1928. Serial No. 299,945.

This invention relates to a wrench kit and holder, particularly a holderfor carrying a number of end wrenches or similar tools of differentsizes, and has for an object to provide such a holder which will carry anumber of these too-ls of different sizes in such a way that eachindividual tool is easily accessible for use without disturbing any ofthe other tools.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a holder of simple andstrong construction which may be manufactured at relatively low cost,and in which the tools are held so as to require the minimum of space.

It is a further object of the invention to provide improved means forretaining the tools in the holder.

\Vith the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists incertain novel features of construction, combinations and arrangei'nentsof parts as will be more fully described in connection with theaccompanying drawings. In these drawings,

Fig. l is a top plan view of the device showing the wrenches in positionbut with one side of the wire clip or holder broken away.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the holder looking toward the top of Fig.1 with the wrenches shown in dotted lines, and

Fig. 3 is a section substantially on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

The improved holder comprises a sheet metal base or body member 10having upturned side walls or fianges 11, an upturned rear wall 12 and ayieldable front wall 13 which forms a catch. It is preferred to have theside walls tapered toward the front, as indicated in Fig. 1, so that thebase is of less width at the front than at the rear to more easilyaccommodate wrenches of clifferent lengths. The height of the side wallsof these flanges may be also tapered, as indicated in Fig. 3, as usuallythe widths of the tools of different lengths also vary. Pivoted to therear wall 12 is a holder or clip 14 which is preferably a piece of heavywire bent to substantially the shape shown. It has in wardly turned freeends 15 extending into loops 16 formed by rolling over the top edges ofthe rear wall 12, and thus form a pivotal connection for this clip orholder to the rear wall 12, so that the free or loop end 17 may swingover the tops of the wrenches or other tools which may be mounted in thedevice and hold them in position. The transverse front portion 17 ofthis holder is adapted to engage under the lip or lug 18 on the frontwall 13, this lip being formed by cutting the wall and forcing itoutwardly. As this front wall 13 may yield inwardly the holder l l maybe released by pressing inwardly on the top edge of the wall 13 to thusremove the lug 18' from engagement over the bar 17 and permit the bar tobe swung upwardly and give access to any individual too-l.

Between the front and rear walls is a coiled spring 19 and the rear wall12 and the front wall 13 are preferably provided with a cupped recess 20and 21 respectively to receive the, ends of this spring and thus retainit in the holder. The coils of this spring are so spaced as to receivethe shanks 22 of the wrenches or other tools and through their resilientaction will grip these shanks after they are forced into the coil andhold them in position with the lower edges of theshanks resting onthetop edges of the end walls or. flanges 11. This spring also tends toforce the front wall 13 outwardly and hold it in holding position withrespect to the bar 17, and thus I do not rely entirely on the resilientaction. of the sheet metal forming the front wall 13 to give the catchefiect as this may be uncertain. It is also to be noted that the frontend walls 23 of the side flanges 11 are not immediately behind the frontwall 13 but are inclined backwardly somewhat as shown in Fig. 3 to leavea space 24 between them and the front wall 13. The end 23, however, willlie back of the wall 13 and thus form a limit stop to limit the amountto which the front wall 13 may be pressed inwardly either in releasingthe holder 14 or should the kit be dropped. These walls, therefore,prevent the catch of the wall 13 from being forced inwardly and set, andthus prevent being forced to such a position that it can no longer holdthe member 14: in proper position to retain the tools in the holder. Therear wall may have openings 25 for suitable screws for fastening thedevice on a wall, or similar openings may be provided in the bottom wallfor the purpose of securing it to a bench or support.

In use the wrenches or other tools are placed so as to rest on top ofthe side walls 11 with their shanks forced between adjacent coils of thespring 19 by which they will be held in this position. The wrench ortool with the longest and thickest shank is placed adjacent the rearwall, and they gradually reduce in size toward the front. The clipholder 14 is then swung over the tops of the shanks and the front part17 thereof is pressed down over the catch 18 and held thereby. Thissecurely holds the tools in position, and the convolutions of the spring19 not only hold the tools but the spring tends to force the yieldablewall 13 outwardly and retain the catch in holding position. Thus thereis very little likelihood of the catch being accidentally released topermit the tools to fall out. 11011 in use and the holder ll is releasedthe spring 19 grips the individual tools and holds them in properposition. 1t will be noted that each individual tool may be removed foruse without disturbing anyof the other tools and may also be reinsertedin the holder without disturbing the other tools. It will also be seenthat this holder carries the series of wrenches so that they are incontact with each other and thus it requires a minimum of space. In viewof the fact that the shanks rest on the top edges of the side walls 11the tools are held somewhat above the bottom wall sufficiently so thatwhen the holder is placed on a bench or other support the heads of thewrenches are spaced a slight distance above the top of this support, andtherefore, the tools are not forced upwardly out of the holder. Stillfurther the front ends 23 of the walls 11 form a limit stop for theinward movement of the wall 13,and therefore, will not be set inwardlyshould the kit be dropped, and it will also prevent forcing this wall 13inwardly sufficiently in releasing the catch to form a permanent set. Itwill also be apparent that the device is very simple in constructioninvolving only three parts, the base or body being in one piece of sheetmetal, and the two wire elements comprising the holder 14: and thespring 19.

Having thus set forth the nature of my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a wrench kit holder, a base member having side flanges on which aplurality of wrenches may rest, a spring catch secured to the front ofthe base, a holder pivoted to the rear portion of the base and adaptedto be swung over the wrenches and engage the catch to prevent removal ofthe wrenches, and a coiled spring extending between the front and rearwalls of the base and adapted to hold the shanks of the wrenches betweenits respective coils as they rest on said flanges.

2. In a wrench kit holder, a base member, acoiled spring carried by saidbase and adapted to hold the shanks of wrenches between its respectivecoils, a holder hinged to the base and adapted to swing over the tops ofthe wrenches to retain them in the spring, a catch on said base arrangedto cooperate with the free side of said holder to retain it in position,and an abutment for one end of said spring on the base, the other end ofthe spring being arranged to press the catch to holding position.

3. In a wrench kit holder, a sheet metal base member having upturnedside flanges, a rear wall and a yieldable front wall forming a catch, avholder pivoted to the rear wall and adapted toswing over wrenchesresting on said flanges and engage said catch, and a coiled springmounted in the base and adapted to hold the shanks of the wrenchesbetween its respective coils as they rest on said flanges.

i. in a wrench kit holder, a. sheet metal base member h ving an upturnedrear wall and a yieldable front wall having a catch, a holder pivoted tothe rear wall, and a coiled spring between the front and rear wallsadapted to hold the shanks of the wrenches between its respective coilsand also tending to force the catch to holding position, said pivotedholder being adapted to swing over said shanks and be secured by saidcatch to re-. tain the wrenches .in position.

In a wrench kit holder, a sheet metal base member having upturned sideflanges, a rear wall and a yieldable front wall forming a catch, aholder pivoted to the rear wall, a coiled spring between the front andrear walls adapted to hold the shanks of the wrenches between itsrespective coils, the forward edges of said flanges lying to the rear ofthe front wall and spaced therefrom a suit able amount to form a stop tolimit inward movement of said catch, and said holder being adapted toswing over the tops of the shanks and engage said catch to retain thewrenches in the holder.

6. In a wrench kit holder, at base member having side flanges on which aplurality of wrenches may rest, a spring catch secured to the front ofthe base and spaced from the ends of the side flanges whereby to allowthe catch to yield toward the ends of the side flanges, said side flangeends Serving to limit the yielding of said spring catch, and a holderpivoted to the rear portion of the base and adaptedto be swung over thewrenches and engage the catch to prevent removal of the wrenches.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

ARTHUR I. PLATT.

